Skylights have been used in architecture for decades as a way of transmitting light into various interior spaces, both in commercial and residential construction. Some skylights are of the fixed type, meaning that their structures do not open, while others are of the opening or operating type, having a mechanism by which the skylight window may be opened to the outside. One consideration with all skylights—and particularly with opening skylights—is how to create and maintain a leak-proof assembly. Many manufacturers have provided their own solutions to this problem with varying degrees of success.
Another issue that may occur in skylight installation relates to the weight of the skylight assembly. Particularly in large skylights, the assembly may weigh more than 100 pounds, making transporting the skylight to a rooftop (for example, by carrying it up a ladder) cumbersome. Others have attempted to address this problem by using separable components, some of which have been more practical than others.
It would be advantageous, therefore, to provide in a single skylight assembly a lightweight, leak-proof construction and an assembly which may be easily assembled and disassembled to facilitate transportation.